Sheet feeding apparatus



Oct. 27, 1959 H. E. KELCHNER SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 29, 1957 2 Sheets5heet l INVENTOR. flQ- HARLEY E. KELCHNER BY M AGENT I Oct. 27, 1959 H. E. KELCHNER SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 29, 1957 N H mm E WK s Y E L DUv A H AGENT United States Patent SHEET FEEDING APPARATUS Harley E. Kelchner, Bridgeport, Pa., assignor to Burroughs Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application August 29, 1957, Serial No. 681,109

25 Claims. (Cl. 271-52) This invention relates generally to sheet feeding apparatus and more particularly to means for moving a sheet of material to a position of registry and for aligning the sheet by one or more of its edges.

Heretofore it has been the practice in some instances for feeding sheet material through various types of machines to employ belts or rollers for aligning a sheet in transit through sheet conveying apparatus against side guides and delivering the sheet in aligned position to a stop guage or other registering device at the end of the feeding line or runway. In such devices the belts or rollers have been inclined with respect to the side guides and line of feeding with the intention that the lateral component of motion provided thereby would carry the sheet laterally toward the side guides and keep it in alignment therewith until it had been conveyed to the end of the line or stop position. Such results have not always been obtained, however, since it has been found on occasion that a sheet would be conveyed to the end stop before it had been brought into alignment against the side guides and because of the friction between the leading edge of the sheet and the stop guage the sheet would not always respond to further lateral movement and would not be registered in accurate alignment at thestop position. To overcome this difficulty, such sheet conveying systems have been provided with long runways to insure adequate lateral movement of the sheets being conveyed which of course, requires additional apparatus and increases the processing time through the machines.

Other sheet conveying systems are known which use a short runway or approach to the stop position. In these systems a sheet is first moved against a guide to align it by one of its edges and then gripped by a clamping device which carries it to its destination or stop position. While this method is more positive than the belt or roller method it requires more elaborate equipment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel sheet feeding and sheet aligning apparatus of improved design and simple construction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding and aligning apparatus having a short runway or approach to registering or stop positions.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sheet feeding and aligning apparatus which engages a sheet and moves it into positive alignment by one or more of its edges.

Considered in its broad aspects the invention contemplates the use of apparatus for moving a sheet of material to a registry position and having it engage thereat with one or more registry devices, and includes means revolvable about an axis preferably normal to the plane of the sheet for engaging a sheet during a portion of revolution and turning and sliding the same until it has been brought into alignment and registry with the registry devices, and may also include means for withdrawing and withholding the sheet turning and sliding elements from sheetengaging position during another portion of revolution 2,910,293 Patented on. 27, 1959 2 or when the apparatus is stopped in a non sheet feeding position. V

The invention will best be understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: V

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of apparatus constructedin accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in which certain of the parts are shown in revolved section;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showing some of the parts and omitting others;

Fig. 4 illustrates diagrammatically various positions through which a sheet is moved by the sheet turning and sliding elements; and

Fig. 5 is a detail in vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. l but showing diagrammatically sheet engaging and non sheet engaging positions of the sheet moving rollers.

The drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention which comprises first a supporting or base plate 10 of rectangular shape having mounted on its upper surface along two of its perpendicular edges two elongated rectangular spacer plates 12 and .14 having their long edges 16 and 18 respectively perpendicular to each other. Mounted on top of the spacer plates and secured thereto and to base plate 10 is a sheet flattening and straightening plate 20 generally rectangular in shape except for an arcuate protrusion 22 at its rear edge as seen in Fig. l. The perpendicular edges 16 and 18 of the spacer plates serve as guages or guides to register a sheet of material in alignment therewith by two of its perpendicular edges in a manner to be described hereinafter. The spacer plates 12 and 14 are of slightly greater thickness than the sheet material to be aligned in the apparatus so that the sheet will have free movement betwee base plate 10 and straightening plate 20.

Secured to plate 20 are two posts 24 and 26 which are connected by a bridge plate 28 secured thereto. A drive shaft 3i is rotatably mounted on an axis preferably normal or perpendicular to base plate 10 in suitable bearings secured to bridge plate 28 and has pinned or otherwise secured to its lower end a hub 32 provided with three flange portions 34 for pivotally mounting a like number of roller assemblies. In the particular apparatus illustrated, the number of roller assemblies has been chosen to be three to divide the work of sheet moving among the slide rollers, hereinafter described, so that the apparatus may be operated at relatively slow speeds if desired and still maintain a registered sheet against the registry members. However, the number of roller assemblies has been chosen as a preferable arrangement and is not to be construed as a limiting feature of the invention. The roller assemblies are similarly constructed and arranged so a description of only one of them will be given.

Each roller assembly includes an L-shaped carrier arm 38 having its longer leg bifurcated and straddling aflange portion 34 and being pivotally secured thereto at 35 for oscillating movement relative to drive shaft 3i); and its shorter leg securely mounting a spindle 40 formed with a flange 42. On one side of flange 42 is a conical follower roller 44 rotatably mounted on spindle 40 and on the other side of flange 42 is a conical slide roller 36 consisting of a hub 46 rotatably and slidably mounted on spindle 40 and formed with a circular groove in its 7 periphery receiving a conical tire 48 of a friction ma- 46 against the face of flange 42 so that rotation of slide roller 36 on spindle 40 is frictionally resisted.

A three-leaved spring 54 is mounted on the lower end of drive shaft 30 abutting an end face of hub 32 and is secured in this position by a retainer ring 56 staked or otherwise secured to drive shaft 30. Each of the leaves 58 of spring 54 extends into a shallow groove in the heel of a carrier arm 38 and urges its respective roller assembly to rock downwardly about pivot 35 as seen in Fig. 2. 7

On thetop surface of straightening plate 20 (Figs. 2 and 3) is a C-shaped circular cam 60 concentric to the axis'of rotation of drive shaft 30 having a ridge 62 and a flange 64 by means of which the cam is secured to straightening plate 20. Ridge 62 is formed with two cam surfaces 66 and 68 which extend respectively from the ends of cam 60 to a bevelled circular track 70 on the upper face of ridge 62, the track preferably conforming in inclination to the taper on follower rollers 44 when the rollers are riding thereon in a manner to be described hereinafter.

In operation a sheet of material such as, for example,

a paper bank check 72, Fig. 1, is fed to the apparatus preferably in the direction of arrow 74 by means not a part of this invention, until it is positioned approximately as shown between base plate 10 and straightening plate 20, at which time all of the slide rollers 36 are raised out of contact with the check. When check 72 is in this position, drive shaft 30 is caused to rotate in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1 by any suitable means, such as clutch c and motor m (Fig. 2), and thereby revolve slide rollers 36 in planetary motion in a circular path about the axis of drive shaft 30. As each roller assembly arrives at cam surface 68, follower roller 44 rides down the cam surface (Fig. until slide roller 36 engages check 72 through an arcuate opening 76 (Fig. 1) extending through straightening plate 20 and concentric with drive shaft 30. Under the urgency of leaf spring 54 and its own frictional resistance to rolling, slide roller 36 will turn the' check clockwise and slide it toward aligning edge 18 of spacer plate 14 until its advancing corner 78 comes against the aligning edge as illustrated in check position 72a, Fig. 4. The check will then be turned counterclockwise about corner 78 and slid until its long edge 80 abuts and is in line with aligning edge 18 as represented in check position 721). As slide rollers 36 continue to revolve, they maintain the check against edge 18 and slide it toward edge 16 of spacer plate 12 until it is registered at that edge as shown in check position 720. As each slide roller 36 comes to the end of arcuate opening '76, itvis cammed upwardly out of sheet engaging position by the action of follower roller 44 riding up cam surface 66. Each end of arcuate opening 76 is bevelled as at 75 and 77 to provide clearance for the periphery of slide roller 36 as follower roller 44 rides up and down the cam surfaces. As the roller assemblies revolve around from cam surface 66 to cam surface 68, follower roller 44 rides on track 70 and maintains slide roller 36 clear of straightening plate 20.

When a slide roller 36 is let down at cam surface 68 and contacts a'check, the force tending to slide the check is first in a direction toward aligning edge 18 and just before slide roller 36 is lifted up at cam surface 66 the sliding force is toward edge 16 of spacer'plate 12. At anytime between these extremes the force tends to move the check toward both aligning edges 16 and 18. Also, when the check is against one or both of the aligning edges, by reason of proper friction established between hub 46 and flange 42 by spring 50, slide rollers 36 will rotate on spindles 40 and roll on the check instead of sliding on it, while at the same time urge the check toward the aligning edges.

In order to obtain the proper components of motion 'toward both aligning edges, it is preferable that arcuate opening 76 be on an arc of approximately and that cam surfaces 66 and 68 be so placed that slide roller 36 will be in contact with check through 90 of revolution as represented by angle a, Fig. 1.

Since the invention is only concerned with registering a sheet of material as described above, it is not deemed necessary to describe other means, not a part of this invention, for removing the sheet after it has been registered. However, such removal or further movement of the sheet from the registering means would be accomplished in any manner well known to those skilled in the art such as providing the apparatus with retractable registering means and providing access through the straightening plate for admitting a feed roller, or in any other suitable manner.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides means for applying a continuous force for moving a sheet of material to a position of registry and aligning it by two of its perpendicular edges rather than by the use of two separate forces acting at right angles to each other, and for maintaining the sheet in flattened condition during such movements. It will of course, be obvious that the invention may be applied with equal facility to registering a sheet of material by only one of its edges if desired.

The invention has been described with reference to the drive means and sheet moving rollers being rotated and revolved respectively on an axis normal to the plane of the sheet being moved, but it is within the contemplation of the invention that the drive means or sheet moving rollers, or both, may be rotated or revolved respectively about axes at variousangles to the plane of the sheet. It is also understood that the apparatus described is a preferred form of the invention and that various changes in size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the in vention, or the scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means, and sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis at an angle relative to said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member.

v 2. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a surface to a registry position comprising, registry means defining substantially perpendicular registry guages, drive means, and sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an an axis at an angle relative to said surface and adapted during an angular part of its'revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with one of said guages and to maintain it against said guage while moving it into edge alignment with the other registry gauge.

3. In a sheet aligning and registering device means for moving a sheet of material along a plane support to a registry position comprising, a registry member, means for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said support, drive means, and sheet moving means'revolvable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis forming an angle with the plane of said support and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member.

4. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means, sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis forming an angle with the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheetand move it. into edge alignment with said registry member, and means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging r position during an angular part of revolution of the latter.

5. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, means forming a pair of substantially perpendicular registry guages, drive means, sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about'an axis at an angle with the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with one of said registry guages and to maintain it against said guage while moving it into edge alignment with the other registry guage, means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter and for returning said sheet moving means into sheet engaging position.

6. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means, sheet sliding means on said drive means and revolvable thereby in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and slide it into edge alignment with said registry member, and means connecting said sheet sliding means to said drive means.

7. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means and rotatable sheet moving means on said drive means and revolvable thereby in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member.

8. In a sheet aligning and registering device, means for moving a sheet of material along a plane support to a registry position comprising, a registry member, means for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said support, drive means, and sheet moving means on said drive means and revolvable thereby in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis normal to the plane of said support and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member.

9. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means, sheet moving means on said drive means and revolvable thereby about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member, and means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter.

10. A sheet registering device for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position com prising, a registry member, drive means, rotatable sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member, and means connecting said" sheet moving means to said drive means.

11. A sheet registering device for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, means for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said surface, drive means, sheet moving means revolable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member, and means connecting said sheet moving means to said drive means.

12. A sheet registering device for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means, sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member, means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter, and means connecting said sheet moving means to said drive means.

13. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, drive means, rotatable sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member, and means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter.

14. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry position comprising, a registry member, means for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said surface, drive means, rotatable sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means in an annular path in planetary motion about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member;

15. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane surface to a registry positioncomprising, a registry member, means for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said surface, drive means,

.rotatable sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about an axis normal to the plane of said surface and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it'into edge alignment with said registry member, and means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter.

16. A sheet feeding device comprising, a plane sheet support, rotatable drive means, a sheet registry element, sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about an axis normal to the plane of said support and adapted during a portion of its revolution to engage a sheet and move it along said support toward said registry element, means connecting said sheet moving means to said drive means and adapted for movement between extended and retracted positions to thereby carry said sheet moving means into engagement with a sheet on said support and out of engagement therewith respectively, means urging said connecting means toward its extended position, a member for maintaining the flatness of said sheet on said support when it is being moved thereon by said sheet moving means, and means for moving said connecting means to its retracted position to therebydisengage said sheet moving means from a sheet being moved thereby.

17. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane support to a registry position comprising, registry means having substantially perpendicular registry edges, means for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said support, drive means, rotatable sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about an axis normal to the plane of saidsupport and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with one of said registry edges and to maintain it against said edge while moving it into edge alignment with the other registry edge, said sheet moving means rotating on its axis and rolling on said sheet while moving the same when said sheet is in edge alignment with one of said registry edges and rotating on its axis and rolling on said sheet when the latter is in edge alignment with both of said registry edges and being stationary on its axis and moving said sheet when'the latter is not in edge alignment with at least one of said registry edges, and means for removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter and for returning said sheet moving means into sheet engaging position.

18. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane support to a registry position comprising, a registry member, a plate member parallel to said support for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said support, drive means, rotatable sheet moving means revolvable by said drive means about an axis normal to the plane of said support and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and move it into edge alignment with said registry member, and means for'removing said sheet moving means from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter.

19. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane support to a registry position comprising, a registry member, a plate member parallel to said support for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said support, drive means rotatable on an axis normal to the plane of said support, a rotatable slide roller revolvable by said drive means and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and slide it into edge alignment with said registry member, said slide roller rotating on its axis and rolling on said sheet while sliding the same when the latter is in edge alignment with said registry member and being stationary on its axis and sliding said sheet when said sheet is not in edge alignment therewith, means pivotally connected to said drive means for rotatably mounting said slide roller and means for removing said slide roller from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter.

20. Apparatus for moving a sheet of material along a plane support to a registry position comprising, a registry member, a plate member parallel to said support for maintaining the flatness of a sheet during movement thereof along said support, drive means rotatable on an axis normal to the plane of said support, a rotatable slide roller revolvable by said drive means and adapted during an angular part of its revolution to engage said sheet and slide it into edge alignment with said registry member, said slide roller rotating on its axis and rolling on said sheet while sliding the same when the latter is in edge alignment with said registry member and being stationary on its axis and sliding said sheet when said sheet is not in edge alignment therewith, means pivotally connected to said drive means for rotatably mounting said slide roller, resilient means urging said pivotally connected means and said slide roller toward sheet engaging position, and cam means for removing said pivotally connected means and said slide roller from sheet engaging position during an angular part of revolution of the latter. v

21. Apparatus in accordance with claim 20 and including an element retarding rotating motion of said slide roller on its axis during sliding movement of said sheet.

22. In a sheet aligning and registering device, a plane sheet support, a sheet flattening plate spaced from said support a distance slightly more than the thickness of a sheet to be registered for free movement of said sheet along said support, a sheet registry member having its registry surface adjacent said space, drive means, means pivotally mounted on said drive means, a resilient member urging said pivotally mounted means to rock toward said support, a conical slide roller rotatably mounted'on 'said pivotally mounted means and adapted to be revolved about an axis normal to the plane of said support, a resilient member mounted on said pivotally mounted means and operative to retard rotation of said conical slide roller, and a cam effective during an angular part of revolution of said slide roller to cause said pivotally mounted means to rock away from said support.

23. Apparatus as defined in claim 22 in which said sheet flattening plate is provided with an opening foradmitting said slide roller to engage a sheet on said support.

24. In a sheet aligning and registering device, a plane sheet support, a sheet flattening plate spaced from said support a distance slightly more than the thickness of a sheet to be registered for free movement of said sheet along said support and having an arcuate opening extending therethrough concentric with an axis normal to the plane of said support, a sheet registry member having its registry surface adjacent said space, drive means, means pivotally mounted on said drive means, a resilient member urging said pivotally mounted means to rock toward said support, a conical slide roller rotatably mounted on said pivotally mounted means and adapted to be revolved about said axis to engage a sheet through said arcuate opening, a resilient member mounted on said pivotally mounted means and operative to retard rotation of said conical slide roller, and a cam eflective during an angular part of revolution of said conical slide roller to cause said pivotally mounted means to rock away from said support.

25. In a sheet aligning and registering device, a plane sheet support, a sheet flattening element spaced from said support a distance slightly more than the thickness of a sheet to be registered for free movement of said sheet along said support and having an arcuate opening extending therethrough concentric with an axis normal to the plane of said support, a sheet registry member having its registry surface adjacent said space, drive means, means pivotally mounted on said drive means, a resilient member mounted on said drive means and urging said pivotally mounted means to rock toward said support, a conical slide roller rotatably mounted on said pivotally mounted means and adapted to be revolved about said axis to engage a sheet through said arcuate opening, a resilient member mounted on said pivotally mounted means and operative to retard rotation of said conical slide roller, a conical follower roller rotatably mounted on said pivotally mounted means, and a cam efiective during an angular part of revolution of said rollers to cooperate with said conical follower roller to rock said pivotally mounted means away from said support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Davidson Feb. 13, 

